01/29/2022
HISTORY OF FIRST AFRICAN BAPTIST CHURCH OF NEW ORLEANS
Few religious organizations in the south, or probably in the entire nation, can claim a heritage so filled with the determination to survive, the will to work, the desire to push forward, and the faith to succeed as does the First African Baptist Church of New Orleans.
Sinking roots deeply in the sorrow-laden years of slavery, the First African Baptist Church had its beginning in 1817, when the Reverend James Rondolson established a church. The membership consisted of 16 white citizens and 32 colored persons. He was followed by the Reverend James Bingham Davis;under whom the church continued until 1820, when Reverend Davis left the city. In October of 1826, the Reverend Aas C. Goldberg was elected pastor of the church, which position he held until his death several years later.
After the death of Reverend Goldberg, the membership declined, probably for want a leader. However, in 1937 the church elected as its Pastor, the Rev Nelson D. Sanders, who at an early date had been brought from Virginia as a slave. For a time services were held in a little house on Gentilly Road. This was one of the more trying periods of the church's history; it was against the law for colored people to hold public meetings. Their worship services were often broken up and sometimes everyone present was jailed. In many cases, the leaders were punished to the full extent of the law. Finally, permission was obtained from the city authorities to hold public meetings for 2 hours on Sunday from 3 p.m. to 5 PM, while under the watchful eye of a police officer who was paid $2 per hour ,an amount that at that time was exorbitant. Meetings why not to exceed 2 hours; not even by one minute. Violations of this order would cause arrest and punishment of all present.
In spite of such persecution, the church grew and in 1842, purchase a site on the corner of Howard and Cypress Street. This was a particularly notable event, since it was the first property owned by Negro Baptist in the State of Louisiana. I truly beautiful edifice was erected thereon, into which the membership moved in 1844. The church continue to grow and prosper.
It was reasonable to assume that the affairs of the church moved along more less smoothly until 1857, when the mayor of the city ordered all color churches within the city limits closed.
Brethren of the First African Baptist Church and other churches of colored people met with men of white churches in order to devise a plan by which the membership of the color churches could resume their worship services. After several meetings with the pastor and standing committee of the Coliseum Place Baptist Church, and plan was finally agreed upon and adopted. Any fact, this plan play Scala churches under the supervision of Coliseum Place Baptist Church.
Although each Colored Church retained its identity, it was considered a branch of the Coliseum Place Baptist Church. In spite of being permitted to elect their officers and carry on their business, regulations were given in which churches were made responsible to the above-mentioned church for conformity to the rules set forth. Permission having been granted by the mayor, the churches, First African Baptist Church included, were allowed to meet for worship on Sunday from "Daybreak to Sunset".
At the time of this writing, authentic dates are not available for a length of the pastorate of the Reverend Nelson D Sanders and Alex Armstrong, the third and fourth pastors of the church. It is believed that their times of service spanded from the period from 1837, when Reverend Sanders became Pastor, until 1884 when the fifth pastor of the church assume his duties. If it remembered, however, that historically, these years included the troubled Pre-Civil War, Civil War and Reconstruction Periods. It will be that many records pertaining to persons of color was neither conscientiously kept neither zealously guarded.
And 1884 from Elba, Louisiana the First African Baptist Church called to its pulpit a young minister who has already proven himself to be a mighty man of God. As a soul-stirring preacher, a great revivalist, an ernest and tireless worker, the Reverend J. L. Burrell added many souls to the church during his 10 years of his tenure of position.
The church next called into service the scholarly Reverend James Madison Young. Reverend young combine the zest and power of the gospel preacher with the acute thinking of the academically trained mind.While he was in office, the property on Cypress and Howard Street, near Basin had to be sold to the railroad and present site of the church at 2216 Third Street was purchased. Groundbreaking services for the church has is present location what held in 1903. The building was erected in 1904, but only the basement was used for the next 20 years.
Reverend J.W. Willard succeeded jReverend young in 1912 and continued as Pastor till his death in 1919 a quiet,gentle, cultured ,well-read and highly inform gospel teacher and preacher, Reverend Willard, with sure skill unending patience and calm resolution quieted turbulent forces with in the church and dealt with each personality in a serene, unemotional manner. Of importance during his Pastor it was the organization of the Rose of Sharon and Lily of the Valley clubs. He was from Shreveport Louisiana and was installed in 1920 and served until 1928.
In 1929, the Reverend Rodger W. Coleman of Selma, Alabama with call to fill the pulpit. He had received his academic and Theological training and some of the best universities of the country and Europe. He traveled extensively during the time of his pasture it and therefore brought to the church or mine teeming with ideas and a personality both dynamic and resolute. He was Co-domicile for 2 years. Through his efforts, the church was to host concerts by Marian Anderson and Hazel Harrison, Famous Negro Classical Artists.
In 1949, Reverend Ethan Alton Henry became pastor of the First African Baptist Church. Soft-spoken and coaches, generous and impartial, Reverend Henry had strength of character, determination of Will and calmness and spirit, which brought the church the qualities needed to meet the problems and keep pursuing a steady upward path. Deeply interested in religious education he, served as president of Union Baptist Theological Seminary for over 30 years. Renovations were done to the church's physical plant and a parsonage was purchased on the Dr. Henry administration.
